Rio Communities working on possible moratorium on data centers
Rio Communities officials are drafting a temporary moratorium and broader zoning regulations for large-scale developments, including potential data centers, due to public concern over potential impacts. The City Council directed staff and the city attorney to create ordinance changes after reviewing models from neighboring communities. No formal data center application has been submitted, but residents are urging quick action to establish safeguards.
Rio Communities officials are actively working to draft a temporary moratorium on large-scale developments, including potential data centers, to give local leaders more control over future projects. This initiative follows public concern regarding land being marketed as a potential data center site, although no formal applications have been submitted to date. The Rio Communities City Council recently directed staff and city attorney Cori Strife to begin crafting ordinance changes, prompted by the Planning and Zoning Commission's request for guidance on handling developments not adequately addressed by current zoning codes.
Resident Maria Gonzales urged the council to act preemptively, highlighting concerns about the impact of large industrial developments on water supplies, air quality, traffic, and property values. City Attorney Strife advised against a moratorium strictly targeting data centers, suggesting instead broader regulations for large developments that would require special-use approval from both the planning and zoning commission and the city council. Councilor Tom Nelson advocated for a 12-to-18-month pause to allow the city to research and educate itself, referencing the Meta data center in neighboring Los Lunas as a relevant case.
Councilor Matthew Marquez supported a temporary hold, emphasizing the need for educational outreach from neutral third parties. Councilor Michael Melendez pointed out Valencia County's existing data processing loads and stressed the importance of clean energy sources for new industries. City leadership agreed that public transparency is crucial before enacting any changes, with an initial draft of the moratorium expected to be presented to the council soon for further review, followed by a town hall meeting for residents.